Columbus State Community College is the No. 1 college in Ohio for granting associate degrees according to a report from Community College Week.

For the 2003-04 academic year, 1,503 students graduated with associate degrees from Columbus State, ranking 37th in the nation and first in the state. The college graduated 4.4 percent more students than in the previous year, when Columbus State ranked 44th in the nation.

Cuyahoga Community College ranks 46 th in the nation, after granting 1,443 associate degrees in 2003-04, and Sinclair Community College in Dayton ranks 71st , with 1,240 associate degrees granted.

"Central Ohio and the entire state have a critical need for college graduates," said President Valeriana Moeller, "and we are very proud that our students are succeeding, graduating, and getting jobs in our community in record numbers. Columbus State is making a major impact on the lives of our students and on the economic success of central Ohio."

Employment for Ohio associate degree graduates is expected to grow by 23.1 percent over the next decade--more than double the 11 percent average projected for all occupations during the period--according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

In the Community College Week rankings, which were compiled from U.S. Department of Education data, Columbus State ranked second in Ohio for granting associate degrees to African Americans (65th nationally) and first in the state for non-minorities (29th nationally).

In a number of specific categories measured in the report, Columbus State's programs rank among the best in the nation for the number of graduates, topped by the area of Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies, in which Columbus State ranks first in the nation. Other highly ranked programs at Columbus State include:

Health Professions and Related Clinical Services: second in Ohio and 16th nationally.

Communication Technologies: first in Ohio and 19th nationally.

Engineering-Related Technologies: second in Ohio and 20th nationally.

Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services: second in Ohio and 49th nationally.

According to the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, 83 percent of all workers with associate degrees earn the same as workers with bachelor's degrees. Because a large number of associate degree graduates work in high-demand, high-paying fields such as engineering and health, their salaries often exceed those of bachelor's degree graduates. In fact, the annual average salary for 2002 Ohio associate degree graduates six months after their graduation was $33,224. The comparable salary for baccalaureate degree graduates of Ohio four-year universities was $32,481.

Time for 2005 Taste volunteers to step up!

Tuesday, September 13, is the day -- the 17th year for Taste the Future. As in the past, volunteers are needed to help make this Columbus State's most successful fund-raising event.

You are invited to volunteer to help make this a special evening for our guests. Dates, times and jobs are listed below. To volunteer, complete the form and return it to Nina Reese, Telephone Information Center, or email the information to nreese@cscc.edu prior to August 19.

A volunteer training session will be held September 1 from 1-3 p.m. in Eibling Hall 05. Job descriptions and assignments will be distributed at the training session. Ice cream favorites will be served.

More than a few people on campus have wondered about the configuration of multi-hued windows, scattered between flapping plastic sheets on the face of the under-construction Academic Center D.

The patchwork occasionally appears to be heading toward completion, then progress stops and the patchwork remains. Why the different shades? Why the flapping plastic?

"The windows on the new center are designed to be artistic," explained Glenn Smith, supervisor of Facilities Planning. "When it is completed, it will look very nice. For now, however, there are some panes of glass in various colors that are on back order, and we're waiting for them to be delivered to complete the design."

Development Foundation makes 2006 mini-grant awards

The Development Foundation Mini-Grant selection committee met July 15 to review 17 proposals that were submitted for the upcoming year. The committee approved 12 proposals for a total $46,567.

The following projects were approved:

Compass English as a Second Language Testing - Pilot Program ( $1,725)A computerized version of the test that was formerly offered only on paper - will improve access to testing for ESL students.

Contact and Recuperate GED and Academic Enrichment Students ( $3,500)A program that will contact students who miss a class or drop out of GED classes and try to regain those students and ensure their completion of the program.

Finish What You Start (SEM) ( $5,000)A retention effort targeted to I Know I Can students in their first year at Columbus State.

International Teleconference with Australian Aboriginal Author Lorna Little:Preserving a Culture through Children's Literature ($2,325)An interactive teleconference putting Columbus State in touch with an international author - open to the public and conducted during the annual Writer's Conference.

Living Lore: Transcribing oral history of neighbors in the Neighborhood Pride Community Center East ( $4,625) Fifteen students enrolled in English 272-Folklore will perform service learning by collecting and documenting stories from community members and area residents of the East side.

Second Saturday Writers Workshop - Chapbook II ($2,950)A project to publish the results of this writer's workshop, the first of which was published in 2003.

Somali Bilingual Book Project ($4,464)Many Somali parents do not have access to literature in their native language, or bilingual literature to read with their children. This project will help students in grades 3-5 publish their own compositions to take home and share with their community.

The Time of Your Life (The Transition Network) ($4,950) A support program for learners over age 50 who are planning for or entering the retirement phase of their lives.

Interactive Classroom - Student Response System ($3,029) A system that allows instructors to get instant feedback from students in the classroom, letting instructors guide the learning of individual students and gauge understanding of the entire class.

African Solar Village II ($4,000) A project to involve students in the Africentric Early College High School, East High School, Columbus State and Ohio University. Students will conduct health and engineering projects working with professionals in Senegal.

Supporting Service Learning and Civic Engagement at Columbus State ($5,000) A program to develop a service-learning infrastructure at Columbus State by cultivating local community partnerships and encouraging professional development activities on campus.

Math Institute ($5,000) Implementation of coursework and content designed to promote successful transition of at-risk students into appropriate math courses using facilitated, non-credit classes .

Total Mini Grants $46,567

One hot hawkDoing his part to enforce the Animals on Campus Policy, this red-tailed hawk eats his prey near the parking lot on Grove Street. The hawk makes his home on campus, and Benjamin Botte, Bookstore web manager, captured him on film Friday morning.